By Ollus Ndomu
Zambia’s Copper Queens have been eliminated from the Paris 2024 Olympics after a 4-1 defeat to Germany in St Etienne. The European side secured their place in the next round with a second-place finish in Group B.
Lea Schueller scored twice for the 2016 gold medallists, opening the scoring just 10 minutes into the match. Klara Buehl doubled Germany’s advantage with a long-range strike two minutes after the break. Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda pulled one back, capitalizing on a mistake by the German goalkeeper to net her fourth goal of the tournament. However, Schueller restored Germany’s two-goal lead in the 61st minute, and Elisa Senss sealed the victory with a stoppage-time goal.
In the other Group B match, the USA defeated Australia 2-1, leading to Australia’s elimination. The USA and Germany both advance to the quarter-finals.
Group C Recap
In Group C, Spain secured a 2-0 victory over Brazil, while Japan beat Nigeria 3-1, resulting in Nigeria’s exit from the competition. Defending champions Canada reached the quarter-finals by edging Colombia 1-0 in Nice, despite an appeal against their six-point deduction being dismissed. Hosts France also progressed to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over New Zealand.
Quarter-Finals Line-Up
The quarter-finals will feature the USA, Germany, Spain, Japan, Canada, and France, along with Brazil and Colombia, who advanced as the best third-placed finishers.
